Walk with Shadows
by Shat3rdLooking-Glass
Summary: Sasuke never thought that the man he happened to save that day was the vampire count Uzumaki Naruto. Nor did he think that Naruto would lay claim on him as his prey…and his mate! NaruSasuNaru. Vampire fic
1. Light

**Title – **Walk with Shadows

**Rating – **M

**Disclaimer – **I don't own Naruto.

**Pairings – **NaruSasu

**Genre – **Fantasy, Romance

**Summery - **Sasuke never thought that the man he happened to save that day was the vampire count Uzumaki Naruto. Nor did he think that Naruto would lay claim on him as his prey…and his mate! NaruSasuNaru. Vampire fic

**Warning – Dark Themes, Yaoi, and OoCness. Sorry about that. It's for the sake of the story. **

-0-0-0-

**Prologue. Light**

It just happened. Later, when Sasuke would recall the sudden events, it almost surprised him how easily he conjured up the images, and how detailed they were. The temperature was hot, almost baking, and the mixture of scattered showers gave Konoha a stuffy, humid air. Then why, on that day, did Sasuke feel so cold? His skin felt clammy, and was covered in goose bumps. And no matter how much he tried to convince himself, he knew that, somehow, he was going to loose something that day.

But what?

Sasuke shook his head, driving the notion from his mind, and tightened his grip on his messenger's bag slung over his shoulder. The bus had come from the north direction, meaning he should head south if he wanted to get home. But Sasuke liked this part of town – it's odd aromas, exotic sights, and beautifully paved side walks. Much different from his quiet abode – a simple apartment for him and his brother, downtown in the middle class area, you know the one where most normal people would live. But this area of town was different.

Along with the beautiful pavement, the streets were lined with old fashion lamps, and neat, stately houses. In a way, it looked like 19th century Victorian England, and although the inhabitants were very well dressed, they weren't adorned with laces and frills. In his simple academy uniform, Sasuke felt extremely out of place. He walked slowly, taking the time to inhale his surroundings.

In an attempt to make himself inconspicuous, he hunched his shoulders and walked with a small gait, trying to make himself as minute as possible. Which wasn't a so much of a problem, considering that he had stopped growing in the eighth grade. Now in his third year of high school, most of his classmates had already outgrown his 5'6 figure. Despite his shortness, and his attempts at invisibility, the stares of the population bore holes in his pallid skin. Some of the people whispered to each other before dashing back into their clean, elaborately decorated houses.

Sasuke blinked and smelled his arm. Nope, nothing too stinky, although the heat of the day had definitely made him sweat out this shirt. The moisture felt extremely uncomfortable. He peered into the small mirior his mother gave him, staring intently at the reflection. Nope, nothing on his face either. Sighing, he continued walking, straighting up. Perhaps his efforts just made him more noticeable.

Now, why would anybody plain as Sasuke be in this sophisticated area of Konoha? The answer is simple: he slept on the bus.

The young Uchiha's morning commute usually consisted of hopping onto a community bus that took him to the bus stop a block away from Konoha High School. Depending on the morning rush traffic, the ride lasts between the intervals of 15 to 30 minutes. However, the midterms were approaching, and after pulling an all-nighter, Sasuke somehow managed to fall asleep for two hours until the driver had shaken him awake, saying that this was the final stop. It was profoundly humiliating, not to mention frustrating, to realize that he was stranded somewhere he obviously didn't belong and that during the rush in the morning, he had left his cell phone and wallet on the bedside table.

And now he was wandering these too-perfect streets, filled with too-perfect people who were _staring _at him. Sasuke had the urge to turn around and snap at them to go mind their own business, but he didn't want to cause any more trouble. He suddenly felt extremely paranoid, and reached into his pocket and fingered the mirior. It was his only valuable possession, and he didn't care if thieves stole his homework just as long as he still had this mirior.

Before she died, his mother had handed it to him, telling him to keep it a secret from his father and brother. "You see things in this mirior, Sasuke. Things that happened, things that will happen, and things that could happen. People often reveal their true selves in it's light. You need to reflect that light into the dark places inside people's hearts, including your own." He remembered that soothing smile, the one she always gave to stop him from crying. "Keep it with you always. I'll always be with you."

Those were her last words before she passed away from some sort of unknown disease. Sasuke's father never spoke to his two children again, and eventually he abandoned them when Itachi was only sixteen. The elder brother did everything in his power to take care of Sasuke, working extra jobs, cooking, cleaning, and somehow he juggled good grades and a sharp, witty mind. Sasuke admired him.

And he admired him more after what he saw in the mirior. He saw the tears his brother secretly shed, his tired eyes and limbs. But the smile on his face was real, and so Sasuke always tried to make him smile.

Oh, but Itachi wouldn't smile at this. At him getting lost and leaving his cell phone behind, with no money to even use a pay phone. Sasuke frowned at his own incompetence, and continued walking forward. He figured that a straight line would eventually lead to somewhere.

He walked for hours and hours, his stomach growling at missed lunch and missed breakfast. Eventually, the streets were emptied, and the old fashion lamps illuminated the darkened roads magically in unison. Sasuke found it strange – weren't they supposed to light them manually? – but decided not to comment, since this place was way out of his jurisdiction. He shivered, despite the high temperature and his finger's clutch tensed considerably on the glass. It felt hot, like it was burning, and Sasuke pulled his hand away. His usually white fingers had hints of red gracing the tips.

"What?" the raven whispered in surprise. He put the scalding flesh in his mouth, and with the other hand retrieved the mirior. The glow off of it was blinding, and he stumbled and fell onto his back. Quickly, he noticed people peering out their windows, a mixture of shock, fear, anger, and understanding on their faces. Sasuke shoved the object into his jacket pocket, stood up, ducked his head and power walked down the street.

Somehow, he managed to get himself even more lost. The area around him had less houses, and was more secluded then the large yards of the last sector. It gave him more of a reason to be afraid. Anything could happen here, and he could scream, but no one would hear him. Shuddering, he, reached into his jacket pocket. The burning sensation had dulled, but once-cool glass was still hot to the touch.

Slowly, hesitantly, he pulled the object out. Pictures, silent movies, began playing on the surface, and Sasuke stared in bewilderment. "What is…huh?"

The scene began to unfold. In the picture was the same alleyway he was currently occupying, and then it suddenly switched to a large group of eleven, walking down the street towards his general area. They looked about the same age as Sasuke, and were clad in school uniforms much more sophisticated then his. Probably from a prestigious academy. The image faded, and transformed into a profile of a shadowed figure, and something silver glinted in its hand. _A gun? _He wasn't sure.

Suddenly, the shadow swooped downward, right on the outside of the passage he was currently hiding in. It was either a man, or a woman, an adult for sure, whose face was concealed underneath a black hood. A hand, armed with a gun was raised straight ahead. "Your tyranny ends here, demon! Die!"

Sasuke's eyes widened in shock as the mirior revealed that the target was one of the smiling teenagers. _No way! _He saw the blood splatter all over the pavement, and the body fall limply to the ground, devoid of life. _No way! No way! _The two word repeated over and over again in his mind. The light from the mirior faded off, and the glass cooled down. The raven slumped against the brick wall, contemplating what he had just witnessed.

His thoughts were interrupted by voices. Sasuke stood up and walked towards the end of the lane, and peered out, only to see the same motley crew of students chattering excitedly. He looked upward, scanning the rooftops until he found a familiar shadow, and all the pieces fit. Someone was going to die!

"Your tyranny ends here, demon! Die!"

The phrase was proof enough. Thankful for his athleticism, Sasuke dashed forward, stepping in front of the target, and closed his eyes, bracing himself for the worse. Nothing could prepare him for the pain that followed. Two bullets pieced his shoulder and chest, slowly digging deeper into his body. Somehow, he couldn't find enough energy to scream, and he fell, his hand grasping his arm tightly, and his mind grappling for his consciousness.

"What the?" the assassin said, staring down at the bleeding boy. "A human?"

The intended bent down, his hand grazing Sasuke's skin. At that moment, the raven felt a surge of content, happiness, hope and many other emotions ricocheting in the walls of his brain. It felt good and painful. He almost laughed, but his chest hurt too much. Just then, the original target spoke. "Leave, assassin. Your unarmed, and you know you don't want me to kill you. Hey, Sakura-chan. Mind helping me here?"

The assassin bristled at how he/she was easily pushed aside, but said nothing more and disappeared into the night. Meanwhile, Sasuke felt his limp body being lifted up by secure, tender arms. Somehow, he sighed, his eyelids feeling heavy. The last thing he remembered seeing were bright blue eyes and blond hair.

-0-0-0-

**Please read and review. Chapter one will be up soon. Sorry about shortness.**

**The story may seem confusing. Bear with me.**


	2. Revelations One

For those of you who reviewed, favorite-d, and, alerted this fic, thank you so much for your support. I know the prologue was confusing, but it had to be done for the story. You'll see how it goes.

Everything gets more confusing here. But as the story unfolds, you'll begin to understand. It's like one of those mystery things, you know.

Thank you again. And I apologize for the OoCness.

-0-0-0-

**One. Revelations pt 1**

For a moment, all Sasuke saw was red. Groaning, he turned over, only to be shocked awake by the pain surging through him from his arm and chest. "Argh…what the heck?" He grumbled. Slowly, the teen sat up, rubbing the wounded flesh that was now covered in bandages. He took a deep breath, and opened his eyes.

The room was quaint: a small bed and elaborately decorated wardrobe occupied the left side of the room; on the right, a bookcase and a desk. A window – was it a window? or was it one of those sliding glass doors that lead to balconies – stood in the back. A single calendar hung on the wall above the desk, but other than that, the dull orange painted walls were completely clean.

Of course, the pressing question now is…

"Where am I?"

Sasuke, despite the pain, managed to crawl out of bed shakily. His knees wobbled beneath him, threatening to give out, but he held onto the wall for support. His bag sat on the bedside, and the mirior lay atop it. The boy retrieved said items and headed toward the door.

From the upstairs hallway, the powerful aroma of ramen overwhelmed Sasuke's tired brain. He staggered slightly, but his arm propping against the wall, he somehow got down the stairs and to the kitchen; the source of the smell. A young man, about his age, stood in front of the marble counter-top, pouring hot water into the instant ramen cups. Sasuke recognized the blond hair from his dream…or was it a dream?

"Hey there, guardian angel. Want some ramen?" the blond said, turning around and flashing Sasuke a huge smile. His blue eyes twinkled happily, but something about his face was solemn, hesitant. As if Sasuke was some repulsive creature, and that the blond was only helping him out of pity and self-satisfaction. Either way, he handed Sasuke the instant ramen cup, and just before the boy was going to refuse, his stomach growled loudily, reminding him of his plight. Embarrassed, he took the cup and chopsticks.

Fidgeting, he ate slowly, his stomach churning the hot, sweet ramen with delight. The blond watched him intently, and Sasuke felt like he was a specimen being observed by a beautiful, critical eye. Finally, he put the ramen down and asked, "Who are you?"

The other boy laughed, a thunderous, cheery laugh. It was a happy melody, and harmonious. For some odd reason, Sasuke felt more comfortable underneath that smile and laugh. The blond plopped onto the couch next to him, and slung an arm around Sasuke's shoulder, still smiling, eyes still twinkling. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto," he said in a tone, as if everybody knew him. Everybody except Sasuke.

"Oh," Sasuke breathed. "I'm Uchiha Sasuke." As he said this, a certain fear enveloped the raven, and he escaped discreetly from Naruto's too-friendly-hold. The blond observed him, eyebrow slightly raised, but his eyes no longer held that welcoming look. Sasuke figured the glaze over his captivating cerulean orbs was more…animalistic, predatory. Demonic. He couldn't stop himself from staring. He quickly stood up, and took several steps back, still trapped by his powerful gaze. Apprehensively, he switched his messenger's bag from right shoulder to left, arming it as his weapon, although the raven got the feeling that it wouldn't be much help.

Naruto's voice was low, feral, "I know. It was on the paper you written for _Dracula,_" he laughed, but the effect wasn't the same as before. _Is he going to…eat me?_ Rising slowly from his seat, he approached the hyperventilating teen. "You seem interested in demons and such. Is that why you saved me?" The question was breathed right into Sasuke's ear, and the boy suppressed a shudder.

"I saved you because I wanted to," Sasuke replied as coldly as he could. _I need to get out of here! _"I don't expect any…payment." _What's going on? I didn't even know that this guy was…a demon!_

"Good."

There was a small silence that followed. Sasuke attempted to use this window of opportunity to escape, but Naruto slammed him against the wall, trapping exits with his powerful, tan arms. Sasuke's bag had been tossed aside, wrestled from his grip effortlessly, and the mirior lay somewhere in its pockets, out of reach. Sasuke felt completely alone without it. So he opted for a different weapon…

The-All-Powerful-Uchiha Glare!

Naruto, bemused, smiled dazzlingly, and although Sasuke's glare faltered, he kept it up. "Fiesty, much?" He put his arms down, shoving them casually into his pockets, still smiling. "That glare is just too cute."

Again, Sasuke glowered, frowning.

"I'll let you go if you answer my questions," Naruto said, lifting a finger. "So will you please just calm down already?"

Sasuke crossed his arms defensively. "You should always keep your guard up around enemies."

The blond laughed; this time it sounded like the first, happy and beautiful. Sasuke had to question himself why his mood kept changing around this attractive, personable teenager. Was it just the looks? The eyes? The obvious difference between their social classes? He shook his head. The whole scenario was too confusing, too odd. Unreal.

Finally, Naruto looked as if he was choking on his own laughter and tears. He clutched his stomach and doubled over, chortling. _Is he mocking me? _Sasuke thought incredulously. His glare returned. _Stupid blond dobe! _

"Trust me, guardian angel," Naruto said, wiping tears away from his eyes. "We're definitely not your enemies, and a lot more people are after your life now then before."

"I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. So can I leave now?" the raven asked angrily. Naruto shook his head, smirking, and Sasuke wanted nothing more than to punch his living daylights out. Grinding his teeth, he grumbled curses under his breath.

Naruto sighed. "I didn't even ask you a question yet. Wonder if you'll act so teme-ish then."

"Dobe," Sasuke spat.

"At least I know what's going on around me, instead of falling asleep on the bus, getting lost and almost getting killed," he said the last part with a sincere worry, like it was all his fault. Sasuke wanted to say something, say that he had shielded him of his own free will, but the blond suddenly covered his mouth and pushed himself beside him against the wall. "Shush. Don't breathe."

_Is this some kind of joke!? _But the extremely fearful expression plastered on the blond's face was enough to make him hold his breath. Naruto stepped in front of him, and pushed him back, yelling, "Come in," at the door. It swung open, and Sasuke heard Naruto swear underneath his breath, and then move off of him. "Kiba. Don't scare the shit out of me like that."

"Sorry buddy. But the hunters are everywhere. I had to conceal my presence," a spiky haired brunette flippantly explained. His brilliant, flashing smile exposed canine-like teeth, and red marks like fangs coated both cheeks. Kiba's nose twitched, as if he had smelled something unpleasant, and Sasuke immediately felt self-conscious. The raven realized that he probably didn't take a bath for a day or two, seeing as he had opted to study for mid-terms instead. "Something reeks! Smells like human."

Naruto gripped Sasuke's wrist tightly, protectively. There was a hidden sentiment in that grasp, but Sasuke figured now or never and stomped on Naruto's foot anyway, and dashed madly toward the door.

"Kiba! Stop him!" the blond called, as he fell to his knees, clutching his foot.

Before Sasuke knew it, the dog-like man had materlized in front of the exit, and reared his fist back to punch him. Sasuke saw the movement, calculated it, and ducked right underneath his arm. He thanked his brother for making him take kendo, and grasped the door knob, while kicking Kiba right in the behind. "You little!" the other teen said, stumbling.

Naruto had remained oddly silent and impassive. He was kneeling on the ground, clutching onto his foot, but his body was shaking. "You can't leave just yet. You can't."

Sasuke froze at the sound of urgency, desperation, in the voice. His body betrayed him, while his mind screamed, and he turned to face the two mysterious teenagers. Naruto continued to speak, "Hear me out, okay? If you don't like it, then leave."

Somehow, he nodded, and the blond motioned for him to come closer. In the back of his mind, the sound of footsteps bounced about, and a massive headache overwhelmed him. The raven felt as if he was being controlled. Was he? In a matter of slow moments, he was standing next to the blond, and then was trapped into a warm soothing embrace.

And somewhere in the middle of it, he fell asleep. The last thing he heard was his minds own scream.

"NOOOOOOO!"

-0-0-0-

Groggily, he awoke again, for the second time that day. Muffled, hushed voices ricocheted around his head, and Sasuke could barely pick out tidbits of what seemed like an important conversation. Worry, sadness, anger, regret, excited, restraint…thousands of feelings, emotions, inhabited the room, threatening to explode. He kept his eyes shut, and just concentrated on the words.

"Are you kidding me? You can't use that power again, do you hear me!?" Anger, worry. A familiar voice. Male. Probably the canine-like boy, Kiba, that blocked the doorway earlier. Sasuke craned his head, and strained his ear.

A more quiet, stuttered replied, "But N-Naruto-kun h-had to. If not, Uchiha-san w-would've ran a-away." This time, the emotion was merely concern. Sasuke liked this game. He didn't know why, but everything, the answers, came easily, like he didn't have to think about it. _Like he knew it before it came. _He shuddered at the thought.

"But if Naruto lost control…we wouldn't have an Uchiha to begin with." Restraint, statement, spite, anger. A nasally voice that gave Sasuke the image of a bug. Perhaps this man, like Kiba, resembled on, too?

There was an awkward pause before Naruto's voice, Naruto's rich, harmonious voice, husky and full of regret said, "I'm sorry. I know that we can't take too many risks. But what could I do? If he stepped outside, _he'd _most likely try to lay claim on what's _mine," _and Sasuke felt a warm, possessive hand on his forehead. The touch was soothing, and it was something he was already beginning to crave. But something in the statement bothered him.

"_His!? Since when was I his?!_"

It took him a few moments to realize that he said the thought aloud. Eleven pairs of eyes bore holes in his pale skin, and Sasuke knew that it wouldn't be wise to feign innocence sleep now. Slowly, he sat up, the headache receding into a numb, tolerable pain.

"Glad to see you're still alive, Teme," Naruto said, waving casually.

Sasuke would've glared, but he counted himself smart enough to observe his surroundings first. A single lamp light in the center illuminated the otherwise dark room. Posted on the walls were hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles, all pertaining to mysterious unsolved murders. Several recliners and two couches (one of which Sasuke was sleeping on now) circled the table in the center, each occupied by one of the high school students he had previously saw in the mirior.

_I really have to stop waking up in different places and getting involved with people I don't know. _

"Pretty cool place, huh?" a sweet, honey-dripping female voice said. Sasuke turned his attention to a pretty young girl with glorious jade eyes and outlandish pink hair. She smiled, obviously welcoming him. Sasuke relished the kindness; from the looks on some of the other's faces, he realized that he hadn't made much of a good impression. (Kiba was still glaring at him). "It's like a secret hideout from those spy movies you humans enjoy so much. It's really just a basement, though."

Sasuke nodded, the motion causing his sore neck and head to sting. Cringing, he asked, "So…anyone actually willing to explain what's going on here? Because I certainly don't understand."

"In due time, you will," the girl said, frowning. She paused and then her face lit up again, jade eyes sparkling in the dark room. "The name is Haruno Sakura! I'm the team medic. I was the one who healed that nasty wound of yours."

Sasuke touched his bandaged shoulder and chest, and muttered a hoarse thank you. She smiled again, and nudged another girl beside her. "Go on, introduce yourself."

"Yeah, yeah. I'm Yamanaka Ino, one of the group's scouts. Pleased to meet you!" a spunky, blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl announced, winking. "You're pretty cute. If only you were just another century older," she clicked her tongue in disappointment and flipped her locks behind her shoulder. Sasuke stared at her, disbelieving, and she rolled her eyes.

_If only you were less crazy. If only this wasn't a dream. _

The buggy voice from before suddenly piped up. "Gaara and his team are on their way," he said. A young man stepped from the shadows, adorned in a huge jacket that covered half his face. His eyes were concealed behind dark, tinted, shades, which was unusual considering there was barely any light in the room. "My name is Aburame Shino, the team's tracker. It's a pleasure to meet you."

_If only the feeling was reciprocal. _

"Hold on…too many names to memorize at once," Sasuke said, shaking his head. He blinked stars out of his eyes, and scanned the room again, this time observing the occupants. Naruto called out names as his onyx eyes landed on each person.

"Neji, that weird guy with weird eyes, and his cousin, Hinata. They can see anything with their hidden ability, Byakugan," the blond noted, motioning to a long haired, brunet male, and a shy, purpled haired female. Neji nodded, and Hinata waved, smiling. _Well, at least the females are sort of nice. I get the feeling that the males are less welcoming. _

"You already know those three…ah, there's another! See that guy sleeping over there on the other couch," Naruto said, reaching into his back pocket and pulling out a ball. He tossed it straight at the sleeper's head, and immediately, the male raised his hand and caught it effortlessly. Sasuke was beginning to feel a little incompetent. "That's Shikamaru. He's like our tactician. He's too lazy to even breathe on his own."

Sasuke nodded, storing the names in his brain. Luckily, his headache had already subsided, allowing his powerful memory to kick in and gather the information. "The brown haired girl who wears her hair in buns like that is Tenten, our weapon's specialist," he motioned to said girl, who cheerfully waved while holding a huge mace in her hand as if it was natural. Sasuke mentally noted not to make her angry. "Rock Lee is one of the coolest guys ever. He specializes in fighting, and you can easily pick him out by his…eccentric style." Another teenager, looking not too much older than Sasuke, rose from his chair and bowed politely. Sasuke immediately discerned the spandex, the haircut and the eyebrows. Yes. Eccentric was a perfect word. "Am I missing anybody? Oh yeah, Kiba was the guy you kicked in the ass."

"Dude, you take kendo or something? It still hurts," Kiba said.

"We don't need to know your butt problems," Shino scolded impatiently. He received a well-earned, hard glare from his victim, which he totally ignored and continued to speak. "You know our leader, Uzumaki Naruto."

Sasuke whipped his head around to face said leader, who flashed him a smile and thumbs up. "We're Konoha Eleven," Naruto exclaimed proudly. Sasuke blinked and sighed; the headache was all of a sudden coming back now.

There was a light tap at the door, and before anybody could say anything, it swung open, revealing three another teen, and two older, more adult-looking people. The older male had a wrapped up mummy strapped over his shoulder, the female a fan, and the younger male a giant sand gourd. Sasuke definitely felt the headache returning. Why did everything confusing have to happen to him, especially during midterms!?

"Yeah. Those are our allies, the Sand Siblings," Kiba clarified for the confused raven. "Gaara's the youngest and the leader. Temari's the scary, scowly female, and Kankurou's the weird guy with the dead body on his back." He earned dagger-eyes from the two eldest, while Gaara stepped closer to the Uchiha, his eyes scrutinizing the boy.

Sasuke again felt extremely self-conscious, which you couldn't blame him for. He was surrounded by a bunch of weird people who claimed to brandish weird powers, and were all so…beautiful. Underneath Gaara's menacing gaze, he unconsciously inched closer to Naruto, who squeezed his hand in comfort. His eyes told Sasuke to not be afraid. And for some odd reason, with Naruto beside him, he wasn't.

"This is the Uchiha, huh? He's just a normal human," the red-head commented. He reached up behind him and unscrewed the cap of the gourd and grains of sand flowed out and around him. Several tails latched onto both of Sasuke's wrists and limbs, pulling him up from the seating position. Sasuke struggled and glared. "He's so weak that I could just kill him right now."

"Don't you even dare," Naruto growled, clenching his fist so tightly that the knuckles were turning white. "It's hard enough as is, for all of us. Blood like his is hard to come by."

Gaara raised an invisible eyebrow and dropped the raven unceremoniously onto the couch. Sasuke's glare grew even fiercer, and for a moment, his world turned red. But it was just a moment, probably generated by rage.

"You mean…he's like your mother in a way," stated Gaara firmly, and he raised his hand, beckoning his sand to return to the gourd. "Was it really that difficult?"

Sasuke, frustrated, blew a strand of hair away from his face. Slamming his fists onto the table, he drew the stares of the room's occupants. "Alright, let's make this clear already. I'm tired of being left in the dark, I'm tired of you all talking about me. I saved you that night, but you don't owe me anything. And yet you won't let me leave. Why? Care to explain everything?" He pointed and glowered especially at Naruto, who raised both palms as innocently as possible. "You, dobe. Why not explain to me now?"

"I said I would let you leave if you answered my questions," Naruto said.

"Don't you dare try to change the subject! Tell me what's going on."

An uncomfortable silence settled in the room, and everybody exchanged glances between the two parties involved. Gaara stepped from in between the both of them and instead sat next to his brother, not wanting to get involved in a lovers quarrel. Finally, someone unexpected broke the quiet. "If you two love birds are done, then I'd like to suggest something," Shikamaru managed to announce in between loud and vexing yawns. He stretched unabashed and propped himself up contentedly against the pillow. Again, a quiet atmosphere took hold.

Temari reached for her fan, eye twitching. "Yo, Lazy bum. Get up and suggest already."

"Oh, right. What a drag," he said, scratching his stomach. "Naruto, it would be wise for you to explain calmly what is going on before he answers your question. Otherwise, he could have a biased answer. And don't worry, Sasuke," Shikamaru opened a lazy eye at the lone human, "You'll get yours."

Sasuke crossed his arms, a smug look gracing his full lips. "You heard your tactician. So, spill, dobe."

Defeated, Naruto sighed exasperatedly and lifted his blue eyes to gaze into Sasuke's deep black. "Let me explain. . ."

-0-0-0-

**Review, please. Thank you very much.**

**And I apologize for the OoCness...again. **


	3. Revelations Two

**READ AUTHOR'S NOTE PLEASE**

**For those who reviewed, I thank you! I'm sorry if this chapter is even more confusing, but that's how it's supposed to be. I can't reveal everything to you in the first couple of chapters. **

**So, you will bear with me, right?**

**Please and thank you. Enjoy the story.**

-0-0-0-

Two. Revelations pt. 2

They were burning holes in Sasuke's skin. Fourteen vampire pairs of eyes scrutinized the lone human in the room, and Sasuke couldn't help but fidget under the intense gaze. The occupants were waiting for his answer, but the pressure and the gravity of the situation made it impossible to think. Finally, he sighed and decided to avoid the question. Instead he fired one of his own: "So you expect me to believe that you guys are a group of crusading vampires attempting to destroy a powerful organization that plans on world domination?"

As if the statement were any other, as if they were discussing math problems over tea, Naruto replied, "Yeah."

"Are you fucking kidding me?!"

A reply as simple as the previous, "No. Not really. Must be kinda cool, though, to look at it in a human perspective. It's like one of those video games, or cool anime television shows and stuff." Naruto's fanged smile would've startled the raven, if Sasuke weren't so annoyed and infuriated to begin with.

"It's not a video game, Naruto," Sakura scolded, crossing her arms. "It may be for us vampires, because we're almost immortal to everything. But to the humans who get involved and those who die…it's reality."

Sasuke shuddered at the mere thought of death. Then again, he was currently surrounded by fourteen vampires that could easily beat him down and suck him dry…And yet he didn't feel scared at all. More or less, it was just like before, when he tried to make his escape. As soon as Naruto spoke, his body moved on its own, and his mind screamed for freedom. Perhaps it was a special ability of his. It should have made him more afraid, but instead Sasuke felt a hint of security and admiration for the blond vampire.

"Okay. Let me get this straight. This organization, the Akatsuki, is collecting certain vampires with extraordinary powers, even for your race. Naruto and Gaara are some of them, right?" It was more of a statement, then a question. But everybody nodded vigorously, pleased that the human was cooperating for the time being. "So what are they planning to do when they get those vampires?"

He was expecting an immediate answer, but the only one he received was silence. Sasuke sighed. They wanted him to team up with a couple of incompetent vampires who didn't collect all the facts. Ridiculous. So he asked, "How do you know what they're doing is wrong? What if they are really trying to help you? What if YOU are the bad guys?"

"They killed my parents," quietly, Naruto whispered. All eyes instantly fell on him, and Sasuke felt waves of guilt already spreading over his body. He opened his mouth to apologize, but the blond continued, "My mother had a piece of a huge mirior, one that could show you everything – the hearts, minds, and souls of people. Akatsuki came looking for it, and also came to obtain me. However, my father managed to hold them off, allowing me to escape. And my mother no longer had the mirior. They died protecting me. I was pretty young, even for a vampire."

Awkwardly, Sasuke shifted on the couch, and bit his lip. "I'm sorry…" he started.

Naruto immediately cut him off with a wave of his hand. He smiled jovially, hints of forgiveness on his lips. "It's not your fault. I hate it when people apologize for something that's not their fault. Anyway, it leads straight to my question for you: Who gave you that mirior? You couldn't have saved me without it. And we can't save our kind without it, either."

"My mother did. She didn't say where she got it from, though. She died before she could," Sasuke said calmly. And then he smirked, "Don't you go apologizing on me either, dobe."

The blond rolled his eyes, and leaned causally back on the black leather sofa. He put his feet up on the table, much to Ino's chagrin. "C'mon, Naruto. I just dusted the place. Stop acting cool to impress the human and get your damned feet off my table."

"Kiba was the one who paid for it," Naruto flippantly pointed out. Kiba strutted over, forcefully grabbed Naruto's legs and thrust them back onto the ground with a huge canine grin. Naruto rubbed his thigh, wincing. "Ouch. That hurt."

_Yup. Acting like a bunch of typical teenagers. Nothing too impressive. _Sasuke gathered his things and stood up, and suddenly all eyes flashed to him. "I'm sorry, but I can't help you. This mirior is important to me. I can't just give it to you." As the raven announced this shakily, he tightened his grasp over the shining object. "And I really don't get what this has to do with me…Or exactly who are you people, or how you became vampires and such. It's kinda hard to believe." _Kinda? It is extremely difficult to believe._

"Of course it is," Naruto said, soothingly. The tone made Sasuke sick. It was like before; he was trying to make him stay.

"Stop it. I don't know what that power is, but I don't want you using it on me."

The fourteen vampires exchanged incredulous glances, and then the eyes were boring holes into him again. Sasuke felt the air shift as someone moved to block the door, and he growled, his hands clenched into fists. "Let me out."

"No. You're our only hope. We'll explain now, okay?" the pleading tone in Sakura's voice was apparent even in her glittering jade eyes. And then, all pity was gone with her next statement. "Or we can just suck you dry right now and leave you to rot in the street," she threatened, shaking a fist at him. Sasuke shivered. The thought wasn't too appealing.

"Stop it with the threats. We are obviously getting no where," the male Hyuuga announced, rising from the recliner. He strode over and looked Sasuke in the eye, and Sasuke had trouble gazing into those pupil-less depths. They were frightening, but alluring in their own way. "Listen to me very carefully, Uchiha. The moment you step out there, you will be hounded by thousands of vampires who probably already know you have the mirior in your possession. That mirior is important for Akatsuki. It'll allow them to eradicate all of us in just a blink of an eye. However, there is another reason that the vampires will hunt you down." And his hand skimmed Sasuke's throat, fingertips itching to dig into the pale expanse of skin.

Sasuke stuttered the next couple of words, hands and body shaking in trepidation. "Blood?"

"They say the blood of an Uchiha is the most delicious human blood of them all," Gaara stated, his voice rising in slight excitement. But there was a grim manner in his declaration, and just about every other person had it in his or her faces.

"Oh," he managed to breathe. Everything was definitely screaming danger now, and part of him just wanted to sprint out of here, despite the thousands of thirst vampires probably waiting outside the door. The intrigued part of him held him fast, like super glue, onto the floor. He wanted to know more, but knowledge always came at a treacherous price. "Oh," he repeated. "Why is that?"

Kiba spoke up this time. "Don't act proud of it." And then a pause. "Does your eyesight ever flicker red whenever your extremely frustrated, sad, or angry?" After Sasuke nodded, Kiba and Naruto shot worried glances at each other before the dog-like vampire continued, "It means you have a special power said to run only in your family. The Sharingan."

"The what?"

"The Sharingan. It's an ability that allows you to read enemy movements in battle, trap people in illusions, and ultimately read the future," Shino completed, and his fingers pushed up his trademark sunglasses that he never took off. "It's an extremely valuable ability. Akatsuki will definitely be after it, although we don't know if it is already in their possession. That's how you saved Naruto, because you somehow channeled that ability from your acute worry into the mirior and saw what would happen."

Sasuke closed his eyes, took five deep breaths, wished this was all a dream, and opened them, hoping he was back in his room. That his brother would walk into the door, scold him like the little housemother he was, drag him out of bed and shove breakfast down his tired throat. That he would miss the bus and have to walk to school, and be late. Like a typical morning. Instead, he met the eyes of fourteen begging vampires, and sighed in defeat.

"I have a power that you want. And somehow I saved Naruto with it. Apparently, vampires want my blood, and an evil organization is hunting for me. Great things to know before midterms," the raven sarcastically joked. "Yeah. Somehow I got that." And then, a bloody realization overcame him, and Sasuke found himself shaking again. "But what about my brother? Will they be hunting him, too?"

Naruto shrugged. "Depends. As long as he stays on the human side of town, he'll be fine."

_Good. _The relief that flooded him was powerful, and Sasuke sighed, relaxing slightly. "Okay. Um…so that mirior…somehow my mother received it, she gave it to me and it amplified my powers and I used that to save Naruto. Now you want me to help you hunt down that secret organization and destroy it before they hurt anybody else."

Surprisingly, everyone in the room said in unison, "Not exactly," and all eyes fell this time on Naruto, whose blush was so scarlet that it even showed up on his sun-kissed tan skin. Sasuke raised his eyebrow questioningly, tapping his foot and crossing his arms. He wasn't sure if he should ask.

"Aw, shut up," the blond yelled, obviously embarrassed. He managed to turn the tides, and the attention to Sasuke. "So, will you help us or not?"

"This is starting to feel like one of those crazy RPGs," muttered the raven, slouching slightly and shoving his hands into his pockets. He gnawed on his lip, a habit that occurred whenever he was thinking deeply. Help the vampires, or not? It's like kill or be killed. Again, his body and mind began conflicting; common sense ordering him to get out immediately, and a spellbinding desire to Naruto's eyes grounding him. Again, he decided to dodge the question. "That power you used earlier…What is it?" he reluctantly asked.

Much to his surprise, Naruto answered, "That was Kyuubi. It's that special power Akatsuki is hunting for. He's like my other half, and sometimes, he likes to come out and play. I'm going to be honest; around you, he gets pretty frisky."

Sasuke wasn't sure to be flattered or appalled by the fact a demon was attracted to him. "Kyuubi's power allows you to control the emotions of some people, is that it?"

"Some, not a lot. I don't like depending on its power, except for special cases, like you."

"Hn."

Naruto groaned. "I was just trying to flatter you. Take a compliment. So, help us or not?" he threw the question in nonchalantly, and Sasuke grumbled curses underneath his breathe. The others looked at each other, and began exclaiming "Please" or "We really need your help" or even threats like "Help us or die." (Most of the latter came from Gaara)

His head was spinning from many voices ricocheting off he soundproof walls. As if the begging and pleading weren't enough, Naruto got down on one knee and promised a whole bunch of impossible things, massaging his hand the entire time. At last, he had enough. "Would you all just shut up? You're all really annoying you know that?"

"And you reek," Kiba yelled back, pinching his nose for added effect. He stuck out his tongue when Sasuke glared at him.

"If I do help you, what do I get in return? And how will you guarantee people's safety?" the raven in question asked cautiously. Somehow, all the eyes glanced at Naruto, who rose from his kneeling position, took Sasuke wrist and walked toward the door. Sasuke protested, yanking his arm back for freedom, but Naruto's grasp was invincible. "What are you doing?"

"Showing you our oppression. The stupid Akatsuki has a stronghold here in Konoha, and many of our kind die from deprivation. Some even go crazy enough to kill each other, or worse, infiltrate the human area for food. If we don't stop this, your race will be in danger also. And I'll never become a hero that way," sternly, Naruto said. His eyes held meaning, and Sasuke watched him carefully cradle his wrist in his hand.

Finally, the door swung open, and vampires swarmed at the exit path, yelling and screaming. "I smell human, Lord Naruto!"

"The mirior! You have it, and that means you can keep your promise to save us!"

"Lord Naruto, are you going to feed the human to us?"

"We're thirsty!"

Sasuke felt Naruto's grip tighten considerably, and the blond pressed him closer against him. A protective hand curled around his waist, and the other rose to calm the people. "Listen to me…We have the mirior. I'll uphold the promise, my end of the bargain, and I will protect this village. I swear on the graves of my parents."

"What about the human? He smells delicious."

"Let's eat him!"

A hand grappled for Sasuke's ankle, and he shrieked, kicking it desperately. Naruto silenced the crowd immediately. "I won't let you lay a hand on him. He's vital to the situation, and besides…" Naruto reached over and untied Sasuke's school tie, exposing his pale neck. Seductively, as if to give the crowd a show, he buried his face in the flesh, and Sasuke suppressed a shudder, a hot blush rising to his cheeks.

"He's my prey," Naruto whispered.

-0-0-0-

"YOU IDIOT! DOBE!"

"I didn't mean to. Well, I did, but hey! You should be flattered!"

"I'm not flattered you fucking molester! In case you haven't noticed, your centuries older than I am, making you a pedophile!"

"You just smell so good!"

"Shut up, Dobe!"

Kiba glanced at the clock and let out a tired, impatient sigh. He turned to his partners, Hinata and Shino, and while the former didn't show any reaction whatsoever, the latter had irritation written all over his body language. The bug-like vampire paced back and forth, hands shoved in pockets and fidgeting every so often. Sensitive to those emotions, Hinata inquired, "What's the matter?"

"The bug I sent after Sasuke's brother to track him isn't coming back," Shino said. "Either it was destroyed, or it couldn't find him."

Immediately, the quarreling couple froze and Sasuke turned to Shino, fear and worry adorning his pallid features. "You don't think that…" He turned away, unable to say it. His brother was the last family he had, and Itachi had given up everything to support his little brother. Never seeing that smile, never feeling that famous forehead poke was almost too much.

"I don't think that at all," Shino confirmed. "I think that your brother his hiding a lot more than you think. He's safe. But, in any case, Naruto. You'd better get the Ice Princess home before dark, or vampires will definitely bombarded him. And your little show this morning probably already exposed him to the Akatsuki."

Kiba groaned, rolling his eyes. "This is why, after all these centuries, we never defeated them. Because they have a smart leader, and we have a stupid one."

"Shut up," Naruto protested, and he immediately pulled Sasuke's wrist up in the air. "Besides, with Sasuke on our side, we're bound to win!" He said this with absolute faith, and Sasuke felt extremely pressured by this. But the sense was overrun by hunger, and Sasuke was in the mood for one of Itachi's slightly burnt meatloaves. _Itachi…home…I wonder if he's worried about me?_

Groaning, he asked again, or more like demanded, "Can I go home now?"

"Yes. In a minute. You're really such a whiny brat," Shikamaru mumbled on the other couch, rolling over. "We need someone to watch over you, however, seeing that Naruto gave away our ace in the hole so quickly." The annoyed tone was very clear, and the other vampires occupying the room shot impatient glances at the blond, who simply shrugged it off. "And we can't just have you dying on us."

"We'll discuss this later," Shino suggested, rising from his chair and crossing his arms. "Right now, Naruto, you take him home and guard him. The rest of us will…figure out future plans."

There was something in his statement that really bothered Sasuke, and the glint in the mysterious bug-like vampire's glasses did nothing but increase his agitation. Despite the fact that he was 'vital to the situation' they were still keeping him in the dark. He shoved his right hand into his pocket and with his left clutched the strap of his bag tightly. "Well, can I go home?"

"Yeah, yeah," Naruto muttered, grasping Sasuke's right arm lightly and pulling it out of the pocket. He lead the raven toward the door, kicked it open, and walked out. The crowds were dissipating slowly, but it was still hard to maneuver through all the bodies. All eyes were on Sasuke as the two meandered through the throng and finally reached an empty road. Sasuke shivered again.

"What's wrong?" his blond escort worriedly asked.

Sasuke shook his head and sighed. "They won't stop staring."

"What do you expect? You're beautiful."

This time, Sasuke gave into the temptation to slap Naruto right across the face. The vampire didn't even flinch; he just laughed, eyes twinkling, and motioned for the raven to follow him. Huffing his cheeks, Sasuke complied. The two walked in silence before they reached a large, black gate that marked the border between the vampire's abode and the human side. It looked menacing, with its beautiful black swirls and hedges aligning the pavement. Naruto waved causally to the guards, and the doors immediately swung open. "Have a good day, Lord Naruto!"

"Thank you!" he called back. And then to Sasuke, "C'mon. I'll take you home."

They walked to the bus stop a few blocks down in silence. Finally, Sasuke piped up, "I have a lot of questions for you."

"Go ahead, shoot."

"Why are you 'Lord' Naruto?" he questioned, black onyx pools glittering in curiosity. Naruto couldn't help but drown in those depths, and his grip on the human's wrist stiffened. Sasuke glanced down at his arm, frowning when he couldn't shake out of the vampire's grasp. "Tell me," he demanded.

Naruto shrugged. "My father was a count back in the old days. I guess we still kinda keep our titles, although it really means nothing in today's society. But it does earn you some respect, and many of our kind still remember those days."

"I don't get it. Speak more clearly, dobe."

"You will in time. Just be patient, teme."

Sasuke tilted his head slightly, and pouted. "Hn."

By this time, the bus had already rolled by the stop, and the two climbed in and took their seats toward the back, secluded from the rest of the riders. Naruto's eyes watched Sasuke intently and he shifted underneath the scrutinizing gaze. It ultimately became too much for Sasuke, who stood up furiously and walked across the aisle and sat there instead. Naruto's laugh sounded like beautiful wind chimes.

"Don't you have more questions?" he bartered, patting the seat beside him. Sasuke glared, brows furrowing and biting his full lips before rising from his seat and plopping back down next to Naruto. The blond resisted the urge to laugh. "So?"

"Were you born a vampire? Or…"

"I'm a pureblood, yes. But my father sealed away a fox demon inside of me, and that's Kyuubi," explained Naruto, smiling. "Most of our teams have a little bit of other demons in them, too. Like Kiba, Shino, and Gaara. But Neji and Hinata are purebloods, too."

Sasuke shifted uncomfortably, wrapping his arms around himself. "What about the rest?"

"Sakura has a little bit of mystic in her, but she was originally human like you. A vampire healer, Tsunade, took her in when she was dying and turned her to keep her alive. She dedicated her life to saving others since then," and Sasuke caught the admiration in Naruto's voice. It was obvious he once had a crush on the pinkette. She was extremely beautiful after all. Sasuke got the feeling all vampires were. Especially Naruto…and he shook the guilty thoughts out of his head.

"And…"

Naruto blinked, thinking for a moment before continuing. "Ah…Kiba and Shino are half and half, like I said before. Tenten was saved and turned by Neji, and Ino got turned by one named Sai. We don't know what happened to him, though. Anyway, Chouji, surprisingly, was comes from a pureblood family, though of gluttons, but they are too gentle natured to harm humans, so they hunt animals instead. Shikamaru probably was turned into a vampire in his sleep, considering that's all he ever does." And his laughter chimed again.

Sasuke smiled slightly, and turned to look out the window. The streets were starting to look familiar; he was almost home. But he needed one more question to be answered before he left. "So…how does a human turn?"

This one caught Naruto by surprise. His happy, friendly demeanor was suddenly replaced by a dark, eerie aura. Sasuke shuddered and scooted toward the edge of the seat, almost falling off in fear. "I-I'm sorry. I really shouldn't have asked that." _Alright. That's enough, Sasuke. No more hanging out with vampires. One day was enough._

Naruto breathed loudly and slouched back into the seat, a hand wiping his face. "Sorry. Lost control for a moment. Well…if we force a human to drink our blood then they'll turn in a few days. But it's extremely painful, I hear."

"Oh," Sasuke said, relaxing slightly. "So if you bite me, I won't turn?"

"I might completely suck the blood out of you, though. It's hard to resist you."

_Like I said…no more vampires._

And that's when the driver called for their stop. Sasuke picked up his bag and bounded toward the door, Naruto at his heels like a guardian angel. He felt the heat rising to his cheeks at that nickname. He only saved Naruto once, but he had a feeling the positions will be reversed soon. The doors shut behind them, and Naruto waved at the bus driver as he drove away.

"Why'd you do that?"

"Jealous, Sasuke?"

"Not likely, dobe," he growled, turning left and walking down the street. In a few minutes, a large apartment complex loomed above them, and Sasuke nodded to the doorman, who tipped his hat. The raven turned to face Naruto. "This is my stop."

"Who said I was leaving?"

At this Sasuke groaned again, and stomped his foot down. "Absolutely not! What will my brother think? I've been gone for a whole day and suddenly come home with…you! Are you stupid? Wait a second, don't answer that." He rolled his eyes, spun around gracefully on his heel and strode into the building. Naruto chuckled and followed.

"Go away."

"I can find a way around your brother," Naruto said, smirking.

Sasuke didn't doubt that, but he really wanted to ditch the idiot vampire right now. Then again, they'll be spending a lot of time together, considering that they were attempting to save the world. He groaned. "Whatever. Just don't cause a ruckus."

"Yes, Ice Bastard."

"Shut it."

Sasuke pressed the elevator button, and tapped his foot impatiently. Behind him, the blond was smelling his hair, inhaling the scent. The raven's irritation increased. The doors finally opened, and Sasuke pushed his way past the leaving occupants and jabbed the seventh floor button, frustrated. Naruto called out to him, "Open your window when you get there, okay?"

"Hn."

The doors closed on Naruto's alluring smile. Sasuke could hear the alluring laughter from the elevator shaft.

-0-0-0-

**This chapter was longer than expected. Anyway, please read and review. Thank you very much!**

**Sorry again about OoCness. And the plot…well it's just beginning to unfold.**

**I'll only update again if I get reviews. So if you put my story on story alert or favorited it, please review if you actually want to read more. Thank you again.**


	4. Promise

**Thank you so much for your great reviews. I'm glad that you seem to like the story, despite its extremely confusing course. Please stick to it!**

**Thank you again. Here's an update for you.**

**-0-0-0-**

**Three. Promise**

Before he could knock on the door, it swung open and Itachi wrapped his little brother in a tight embrace. He burst from the room, as if he sensed that Sasuke was coming. The notion was comforting in a way. Sasuke closed his eyes and concentrated on the warmth, the feeling of security, and Itachi's scent. Itachi always had an odd and intriguing aroma – a mixture of jasmine and cherry. He wondered if the vampires sensed that, too.

"I'm home," Sasuke managed to whimper. "You can let go of me now! I can't breathe."

Itachi held Sasuke at an arms length, a smile of relief on his face. "You were gone for an entire day. The police said that was common for teenagers your age to disappear for a day or so. Still, I couldn't help but worry."

"Stop acting so old. You're barely an adult yourself."

Again, his brother smiled. "Yes. I know." A pause. "What happened to you? Did you fall asleep on the bus again?"

_Am I really that predictable? _Sasuke swore he heard Naruto's laughter somewhere. He shook the thought out of his head and dropped his bag onto the couch. "I'm taking a shower, okay?" he called over his shoulder. Kicking off his shoes and retrieving his towel from his room, Sasuke stepped into the bathroom.

After stripping from his sweaty school uniform, he stopped in front of the bathroom mirior, staring at the face in the reflection. Dark, obsidian pupils coated underneath long, equally dark eyelashes, and bluish bruises beneath each eye (a sign of lack of sleep); creases on his completely pale, almost translucent forehead (you could practically see the veins), thin, sharp eyebrows and midnight blue (or was it black?) hair framing the face.

Naruto called him beautiful. He didn't believe him. To Sasuke, the face in the mirior looked…tired. Dark. A complete contrast to Naruto's bright sunny hair, beautiful tan skin and ocean pools. He didn't mind drowning in those eyes at all…nope. Stop it. NO FALLING IN LOVE WITH THE VAMPIRE.

He sighed, frowned at the reflection, and stepped carefully into the shower. In a few moments, after fiddling with the knobs, hot, burning water burst from the showerhead, and fell onto Sasuke's cold back. It was a relief; the feeling was like paradise. It allowed him to forget his predicament: the vampires, midterms, his brother, his mother, his father, and just imagine what it would be like to be normal.

It was perfect.

Until the nirvana was shattered by a vigorous tapping on the shower door. Through the mist, Sasuke couldn't make out anything but a tall figure. No one could have gotten in; the door was locked and Itachi was probably asleep by now. While in his thoughts, without warning, the door slid open and Naruto stood outside the shower, waving the mist away with his hand.

"What are you doing here?" Sasuke hissed, turning off the water.

"You didn't open your window! And besides…Oh!" Naruto froze, a crimson blush apparent even on his tan cheeks.

Sasuke blinked and looked down at his naked self. And opened his mouth to scream. "YOU DOBE!"

The rest of the sentence was stifled when a large hand covered his mouth. Naruto wrapped his arms around Sasuke's torso, still blushing. Sasuke struggled, but felt the heat rushing to his face, and down somewhere else. Slowly, the blond leaned in a whispered into his ear. "Don't scream! Your brother is in the other room, sleeping, but what if you wake him up?!"

Sasuke glared, and wretched the hand away from his mouth. He murmured back, "You idiot! You idiot…Do you have an self restraint at all?" Sasuke could feel the hesitation as Naruto let go of him. Ignoring it, the raven wrapped the bathrobe around his thin frame and stormed out of the room. Naruto chuckled and quietly tiptoed after him

Glancing over at the couch, Sasuke could see his brother's figure, slumped unceremoniously on the recliner, his novel and glasses on the floor. He rushed over, worried. Over his shoulder, Naruto assured him, "Don't worry. I just put him to sleep, that's all. But he smells, good too. I guess all Uchihas do…not as good as you, of course, but…"

"Shut up, dobe," Sasuke growled, turning sharply towards the vampire. "First you barge in without permission, then you knock my brother out. And then you peek on me in the shower!" Sasuke was well aware that his face was as red as a tomato. He huffed his cheeks and stomped towards his room, threw open his door, and walked in. Naruto followed. Completely annoyed, he turned and snapped, "I'm changing. Wait outside!" And the door slammed shut.

He could still hear the laughter.

-0-0-0-

Naruto was itching. Sasuke's intoxicating scent was everywhere in this house, and it made it that much harder to control himself. The Thirst was there, and Kyuubi was craving. "Ugh," he grunted, clenching his fist more tightly. He had better go back to Tsunade for feeding before he really lost control. Pacing back and forth, Naruto tried getting his mind on other things, like saving the world.

After all, not all vampires were evil. The people on their side of town were trapped in a cell of oppression, and only the royals could escape. Akatsuki planned on eliminating all others, or recruiting them. People had no choice, and Naruto hated that. He loved freedom, happiness. He loved running wild. He loved the people. And he would do anything for them.

"Stay strong, Naruto. The people may think of you as a demon, even in their own right, because of the Kyuubi. But that's where you can prove them wrong!" his father said, flashing him a beautiful, loving smile. He had promised his father, and Uzumaki Naruto, Son of Count Namikaze Minato, never backs down on his word.

Suddenly, a light tap on his shoulder, dragged him reluctantly back into reality. Sasuke stood in front of him, arms crossed defensively, and armed with a glare. He was dressed in simple pajamas: gray sweat pants and a loose black shirt that slipped casually off his shoulder. Naruto unconsciously licked his lips at the throat exposure. Sasuke caught that, blushed and pulled his shirt up.

"Dobe," he said.

Naruto raised an eyebrow and smiled. "So…where do I sleep tonight?"

"Who said you were staying?"

"Who said I was leaving?"

Amused, Naruto observed Sasuke's face. The reaction was priceless. The Uchiha opened his mouth, let out a grunt, closed it, and simply opted to pout. His left eyebrow twitched in annoyance. "Listen to me…You, go home. Do whatever. I already agreed to help you, so what's the point of staying here?" It was a rhetorical question; Sasuke wanted him _out._

Naruto shrugged. "I wanna be near you."

"Leave," the Uchiha barked, his hand pointing toward the window. "Out."

Lifting his palms up innocently, Naruto sighed. "Fine, fine!" He smiled crookedly, and stepped closer to the Uchiha.

What happened next was a blur to Sasuke. In a flash, he was against the wall; his shirt again slipping off his shoulder again and Naruto's face was nuzzling in the crook of his neck. He heard Naruto take a deep breath, and sigh, content. The heat was rising to his cheeks again, and Sasuke turned his head away, unknowingly giving Naruto more exposure. It was when he felt the warm lips graze his skin that Sasuke tried to pull away.

Naruto stepped back, embarrassed and ashamed, running a hand through his spiky hair. "Sorry," he said earnestly. "Just wanted to take in your scent one last time for tonight."

There was an awkward silence, before Sasuke shook his head and scurried to the window. He threw it open and pointed. "Out, please!" he whimpered, and Naruto could catch the obvious fear in his voice.

Again the blond apologized and waltzed toward the open escape. Just before he climbed out the window, he turned, smiling and said, "I won't be too thirsty next time I see you. I promise. And I won't let anybody else…take you away from me." And he smirked, swinging his legs powerfully over the sill. "Besides, you're my prey." And he jumped.

Sasuke rushed to the window and peered down, searching for any sign of the vampire. But somehow, he disappeared into the night. His heart pounded loudly in his chest, and Sasuke registered the emotion as worry. For Naruto.

_Why? You were this close to getting bitten by a vampire and you're worried about said vampire!?_

There was something ridiculous about the statement. He rolled his eyes and plopped back down on the bed. Too much has happened lately, in the span of two days. And he still had midterms and make-up tests to take care of. _STUPID NARUTO…_The words repeated over and over in his head. Closing his eyes, he soon fell asleep, with a single word repeating in his head.

Naruto…

-0-0-0-

This time around, Itachi was sure to wake him up early and shove breakfast down the sleepy teenager's throat faster. Sasuke, thanks to his extremely punctual older brother, was ten minutes too early for the bus. He sat at the stop, waiting while chewing contently on an extra granola bar he had swiped from the counter earlier.

The bus pulled up and the students climbed inside, chatting happily and nervously about the final day of midterms (although it was Sasuke's last). The raven flipped through his notebook, re-reading his notes again. Forgetting about vampires and remembering formulas. It seemed like a normal morning. It was until he got to school.

A large limousine with tinted windows was parked right outside the gate. Other students were gossiping, giggling and talking, coming up with theories about the occupants of the vehicle. Sasuke eyed it carefully, but thought nothing of it as he stepped off the bus and headed toward the building. Someone tapped on his shoulder.

"Hn," Sasuke said spinning around. His eyes widened in shock. "What the hell are you--"

"Yo!" Naruto said, waving casually. "What's up, Sasuke?"

_I'm dreaming. No, wait. I'm having a nightmare! _"Are you fucking crazy!? You really are such a dobe. I don't believe it!," he cried incredulously. Sasuke closed his eyes, sighed in defeat, and turned again on his heel. "Never mind. Don't bother." And, clutching onto his messenger's bag, he marched straight up the stairs. The blond chuckled, and raced after him.

Of course, once in class, students began bombarding the charismatic blond, who smiled, joked and laughed as if everything was normal. But to Sasuke, everything was far from normal! He wanted to scream, but he felt like something was clogging his throat. Stupid, stupid, stupid vampire. He glanced over again at the forming crowd. Sasuke couldn't blame the students; Naruto easily drew everyone in. He was friendly, understanding (or at least attempted to understand) and endearing. Traits that made it all the more ironic that he was a vampire.

Twenty minutes after class time should have started, Kakashi waltzed into the room, a smile hidden underneath the odd mask plastered on his face. His presence immediately silenced the students, and he settled comfortably into his desk. After taking several sips of his coffee, he eyed the students and asked, "Where's the new kid?"

Naruto rose from his seat and strode casually to the front. Sasuke to see the girls watching him, giggling giddily. He grumbled curses quietly, gnawing on his lip.

"Introduce yourself," Kakashi lazily stated, flipping through his grade book.

"The name is Uzumaki Naruto!" he announced proudly. "I transferred here from Konoha's Imperial Academy."

Speculation among the students generated immediate pandemonium. People were whispering, passing notes, and some were even stupid enough to yell aloud.

"That's a step down! I heard the academy is very prestigious."

"Maybe he's stupid."

"Maybe he lost money and had to transfer."

Finally, a girl shot up and yelled, "Maybe he transferred for love!" All eyes fell on this daring girl, who blushed and shied back into her seat. She giggled. "Sorry. Just a speculation!"

But Naruto winked and confirmed, "Bingo."

Kakashi seemed amused by all this, explaining why he didn't stop the students from screaming and yelling. Girls were fawning over Naruto's romantic side, while guys were rolling their eyes. Sasuke however, flushed a deep crimson red and buried his face into the book, cursing at the dobe. _Dumbass! Stupid vampire. Ugh._

"May I ask who?" the lazy teacher inquired, whipping out an orange covered novel titled Icha Icha Paradise. He glanced up from the pages to eye the blond carefully, and then his visible eye scanned the classroom for any prospects. "First of all, is it a girl or guy?"

Without any hesitation, "It's a guy. But he could also look like such a girl sometimes," Naruto said, shrugging and smiling. "Acts like one, too."

Why is he saying this in front of the class again?! Right, because he really is an idiot!

"I see. Sit down, then. Behind Uchiha," Kakashi didn't bother to look up, he just pointed in Sasuke's general direction. Naruto grinned in triumph and skipped to his new seat. Along the way he breathed right into Sasuke's ear, and the human had to muster all of his self-control to keep from shuddering, or smacking the blond. He simply glared and Naruto shrugged again.

"For those of you who need to take midterms, please head to the back. Class will begin!"

-0-0-0-

By lunchtime, Naruto had already earned himself a huge reputation as the Cool Transfer Student, and a female (and male) fan club. Of course, the vampire didn't care about such things; he was only here for one reason. And that reason just happened to be standing in front of him, sporting those beautiful dagger-like eyes and an adorable pout. Luckily, the collar of the uniform hid Sasuke neck, because it took a lot of restraint to keep from biting him.

"Hey, dobe. Are you even listening?"

Naruto blinked and looked toward the source of the voice. Sasuke was leaning in, looking up at his face, brows furrowing in slight worry. However the expression disappeared in a flash, an apathetic mask replacing it. Tiredly, the raven sighed. "Why do I even bother anymore? Did you bring lunch or are you going to buy something?"

"I don't need to eat. Vampire, remember?"

"It'll make you look so suspicious," Sasuke said, hands on hips this time. Naruto smirked and walked into the cafeteria.

Students were scattered everywhere, laughing and cheering. Many people watched the new student suspiciously, while other gazes hinted welcoming. But instead of socializing, Naruto lead Sasuke to a lone table in the back corner. Once there, Sasuke reluctantly set down his drink and sighed. "People are going to start talking you know," the raven complained, twisting his water bottle open.

Naruto rolled his eyes and leaned in towards Sasuke. "Let them talk. I need to stick around with you, to protect you and stuff. Shikamaru arranged this yesterday."

Befuddled, Sasuke raised an elegant eyebrow and sipped his water casually. He put it down and screwed the cap on. "How'd you know I go here?"

"Ino read your mind. It's one of her talents: she can invade someone's mind without them knowing," Naruto explained, resting his chin in his hand. "We all have talents of our own. Apparently, so do you."

"Don't need to remind me," regrettably, Sasuke stated.

Naruto laughter chimed again. Sasuke decided that it was possibly the most beautiful sound he had ever heard, though he would never admit it aloud. He chewed on the roast beef sandwich his brother had supplied for him, and swallowed before asking, "What do you mean…by your prey?"

"Excuse me?" Naruto asked, slightly appalled.

The raven glowered and repeated the question in a more stern tone. Naruto fidgeted, blushed, grew angry, and timid all in the span of five seconds. Sasuke waited patiently for an answer, taking another small bite of his sandwich. Finally, Naruto sighed and said, "It's exactly what I said. You're my prey and no one else is aloud to touch you."

"I don't get it."

"And I thought _I _was the _dobe._"

Sasuke argued, "I'm not a vampire."

"And I hope you don't become one," the blond said quietly. And Sasuke swore that Naruto's eyes flashed red at that moment. When he leaned over the table to get a better look at the perhaps-cerulean depths, Naruto shied away, like some scared animal and covered his face in his hands. Awkwardly, Sasuke slowly slumped back into his seat.

"Sorry," he whispered. _This is why I'm telling you: NO MORE VAMPIRES._

And suddenly, cheery Naruto was back, smiling. "It's no problem."

"You sure have a lot of mood swings, dobe," Sasuke pointed out.

Naruto shrugged again, and gestured for him to finish his food. "You know…the only thing I ever eat is miso pork ramen. Oh and blood."

Sarcastically, "Thanks for the reminder." The raven swallowed the last bits of his sandwich and dunked down his water. An odd silence followed, and then he asked, "What am I supposed to do?"

"Nothing, now. You just wait," answered the blond, reaching back and running a hand through his locks. "Just don't get killed or hurt. Which is the reason I'm here in the first place." The cocky grin returned, paired with a thumbs up, "Don't worry, cause I'll protect you. And no one will ever hurt you, human or vampire. That's a promise."

The sincerity in his voice struck Sasuke as…odd. There was something off in his tone, and it didn't take long for Sasuke to realize what it was. "You're attracted to me, aren't you?" The question came out as a statement. Naruto blinked, feigning confusion, and laughed. He stopped when Sasuke's hardened glare sent chills down his spine.

"You want my blood, don't you?"

Naruto took Sasuke's water bottle and twirled it around on the table. The sad, but horrifyingly calm expression on his face made Sasuke regret the previous declaration. Naruto's next words were quiet, solemn, but extremely promising and heart lifting. "I may be your worst nightmare. But I promise you…" he ditched the water bottle and reached for Sasuke's hand, and cradled it gently. Flipping the palm up, he leaned in a nuzzled his nose on the raven's pale wrist. The veins were clean underneath the pallid skin.

Sasuke blushed, fingers fidgeting nervously with his tie. Naruto closed his eyes and savored the intoxicating scent.

"I promise you that I will never hurt you."

And he kissed Sasuke's hand gently.

-0-0-0-

**Thank you all so much for your reviews. I really appreciate it. **

**I won't update again unless I do get reviews. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, because I certainly enjoyed writing it. **

**Love you all.**


End file.
